Experienced African hair stylists?

My daughter has natural, African hair, but it pains me when her mother does her hair because she makes her cry. EVERY TIME.
My daughter cries every time she has her hair done because her mother brushes it loose.

To my understanding, it's not necessary to brush African hair. I think that she can brush it with her fingers, if she has to brush it. But other than that, the hair should be natural. So after a shower, just leave it be, and add styling product with the fingers, because brushing is too much of a pain for my daughter.

Is my understanding correct? Is her mother doing something wrong? I think that just having natural hair would be fine. I don't think she'd get tangles, if there is such a thing after adding styling product. I feel like if she left her hair natural, it would just curl up, and they'd be beautiful curls, but her mother is one of those black women that straightens her own hair. As if the history of conking hair means nothing.

So, any experienced people with this type of hair have an opinion?

Original author: Ajaw